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en-usEngadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronicsCopyright 2017 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.https://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/10/game-of-thrones-ascent-coming-to-ios-android/https://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/10/game-of-thrones-ascent-coming-to-ios-android/https://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/10/game-of-thrones-ascent-coming-to-ios-android/#comments

Game of Thrones: Ascent, which was chosen as one of the best Facebook games of 2013, is headed for iOS and Android next. Developer Disruptor Beam's CEO, Jon Radoff, told Gamezebo that the move will conclude "in the near future."

Those who started the game on Facebook will be able to link their accounts for cross-platform play, or start on mobile from scratch. Game of Thrones: Ascent casts players as nobles in the popular world penned by George R.R. Martin.

A new Game of Thrones title was also announced by Walking Dead developer Telltale Games last month. That series is planned to begin sometimes this year, hopefully before winter. Because, y'know.

It's time once again for me to throw out my awards for the best of free-to-play, indie, and oddball MMOs, a real niche-within-a-niche. It might seem that I am assigned many of these titles as though I were some modern day Mikey, but the truth is that I get a huge thrill out of finding a new game but get even more of a thrill when I realize that no one is covering it. I had to really think hard about the criteria for the awards this year, mainly because "indie" is quickly becoming one of those often hard-to-define words, alongside "MMORPG" and "free-to-play." Fortunately, I think I know it when I see it.

I kept my choices to games that I have actually played this year. I wanted to avoid games that appear to be really cool. If you want a more broad batch of prizes, check out Massively's best of awards. (Side note: I voted for Defiance as my game of the year.)

These awards are for games that are being created on a shoestring or independent of massive budgets. Some of them are connected to some money, of course, but instead of trying to define "indie," I will only repeat: You'll know it when you see it.
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a-mystical-landachaeaarcane-legendsbeau-hindmanbrowsercasualdeepworlddinostormeldevinever-janef2pfantasyfeaturedffafree for allfree-for-allfree-to-playfreemiumfrindiefrindie-awardsfrindiesgame mechanicsgame-of-thronesgame-of-thrones-ascentgrepolisherokon-onlinehunted-cow-studiosinnogamesistariaistaria-chronicles-of-the-giftedlife-is-magiclinden-labmad-otter-gamesmanylandmilmomiscellaneousmmortsmobilemystmyst-onlinemyst-online-uru-liveopinionparallel-kingdomperbluepocket-legendsred-robot-labsryzomsandboxscreenshotssecond lifesecond-lifesocial-mmospacetime-gamesspacetime-studiosstar-stablethe-westtherethere-mmovelvet-ropevillagers-and-heroesvirtual worldswurm onlinewurm-onlineWed, 01 Jan 2014 12:00:00 -0500319|20795875https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/10/04/game-of-thrones-ascent-launches-alliance-vs-alliance/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/10/04/game-of-thrones-ascent-launches-alliance-vs-alliance/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/10/04/game-of-thrones-ascent-launches-alliance-vs-alliance/#comments

The post explaining the new system is quite lengthy, but here's the idea in a nutshell: Alliances will earn victory points by establishing and fortifying camps as well as attacking or assisting other alliances, and to the victors (the ones with the most points) go the spoils (special rewards). After a period of time, a new phase will begin and all points and camps will reset. The system, which is meant to evolve, will offer different rewards, different goals, and potentially different ways to earn victory in different phases. For an in-depth look at AvA, check out the devs' detailed guide.

Big changes are headed to browser-based social MMO Game of Thrones: Ascent. In a lengthy and detailed developer blog, studio Disruptor Beam outlined the challenges it sees with keeping players engaged in GoTA at the endgame point and how it plans to address those challenges.

The main problem, it appears, is that there currently isn't enough to do after finishing volumes one and two of the story. Disruptor Beam determined that the lack of options upon the completion of the story leaves players with no reason to play, noting, "There needs to be something more to our endgame."

The studio has a two-part plan to keep players engaged. The first is item enhancement, which allows players to modify items to adjust their attributes and unlock new abilities. Improved items can be made permanent so they persist through reincarnation. The second part is alliance vs. alliance combat and diplomacy, which enables players to create alliances of up to 500 members and declare war (or form peaceful bonds). Alliances will be able to own camps and use those camps as launch points for attacks against other alliances.

According to Disruptor Beam, both of these features are still in the deep testing phase. The studio hopes to have them rolled out in the next few months. In the meantime, it appears as though Game of Thrones: Ascent is growing more and more into a fully featured MMO every day.

I'm hurt, to be honest. I know that I'm just one of millions of MMO players, but I have a binder too! It's a vintage Trapper Keeper with a wizard on the cover who is dashing among abstract geometric shapes. My mom thought it was cool and my friends think it's totally rad. Inside are the secrets to hit MMOs that studios are just too scared to make but would be bigger than World of Warcraft if someone would just take the chance. I know it.

Today I'm going to open up that binder and shove my ideas in your face. And then, knowing how these things go, I will raise up every geek voice against my picks in the comments section. Bring it on. My wizard can handle all of you.
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captain-ncaptain-n-the-game-masterfalloutfeaturedfranchisefranchisesgame-of-thronesgame-of-thrones-ascentgame-of-thrones-seven-kingdomsharry-potterhumoripipsmiscellaneousopinionp10perfect tenperfect-10perfect-tenplanescape-tormentpokemonready-player-oneroundupsimpsonsthe-dark-towerthe-perfect-10the-perfect-tenthe-simpsonstop-10top-10-listtop-tentop-ten-listtrapper-keeperwarehouse-13world-of-warcraftThu, 04 Jul 2013 12:00:00 -0400319|20626493https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/14/mmobility-the-chromebook-all-in-one-project-more-games/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/14/mmobility-the-chromebook-all-in-one-project-more-games/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/14/mmobility-the-chromebook-all-in-one-project-more-games/#comments

This will be my last week using the new Chromebook Pixel, at least here on Massively. I will continue to look at its techier side of things on my personal blog, just as I did with the original Chromebook All-In-One project. The shorter time frame for this series can be explained by the fact that Chromebooks do admittedly cut out a lot of the browser-based MMOs out there by not allowing the usage of Unity or other plugins. Flash is allowed, but Adobe and other companies' recent disapproval of the use of Flash for mobile platforms came with a reason: It's often hard to run. Once HTML5 becomes more standard thanks to publishers like Jagex, I'll be able to comment more on that. It's also important to note that the Pixel is really just a nicer Samsung model, so you can refer to the older posts as well.

I want to encourage everyone who is interested in Chromebooks to check out the Samsung ARM-based Chromebook I talked about last time. It's very inexpensive and quite literally does everything that the Pixel does, albeit on a much smaller screen that is attached to a weaker device that has a much lower build quality. Still, my time with the Pixel has amazed me with a wonderful, touchable screen, but the Pixel has also convinced me that the Samsung should be the flagship device for Chromebook, hopefully kept at the same price range while slowly improving in quality.

Now, let's talk about the games. I found a few that run much better on the Pixel's beefier stats, but please refer to my Samsung coverage for 30 MMOs that run on both machines. The following list is especially good for touchscreens.
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all-in-one-projectbeau-hindmanbrowserbrowser-basedchromebookchromebook-all-in-one-projectculturedoctor-who-worlds-in-timedungeon-overlordfeaturedfree-to-playgame-of-thrones-ascentgooglegrepolishabbo-hotelhands-oninnogamesmiscellaneousmmobilitymobilemobile-gamingmobile-mmoopinionphonepseudo-mmossmartphonesocial-gamingthree-ringsturn-basedwarmage-battlegroundsFri, 14 Jun 2013 18:00:00 -0400319|20619003https://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/zynga-inks-distribution-deal-with-game-of-thrones-ascent-develop/https://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/zynga-inks-distribution-deal-with-game-of-thrones-ascent-develop/https://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/zynga-inks-distribution-deal-with-game-of-thrones-ascent-develop/#comments

Zynga announced that it has established a partnership with Boston-based social game developer Disruptor Beam to bring the studio's popular Facebook game Game of Thrones Ascent to its player base at Zynga.com.

Since its open beta launch in February, Game of Thrones Ascent has attracted more than 500,000 players to its strategy-focused take on the world of Westeros. As part of the agreement, Zynga will handle distribution of the game on Facebook and its own web portal, and will work closely with Disruptor Beam through its Zynga Partners program.

Starting with HBO's third season of Game of Thrones, additional Ascent content will be released after each new episode airs, resulting in what Disruptor Beam CEO Jon Radoff calls "a unique transmedia experience that is not currently seen in any other social game."
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disruptor-beamgame-of-thronesgame-of-thrones-ascentpczyngaTue, 30 Apr 2013 19:15:00 -040011|20553473https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/the-stream-team-spring-has-sprung-edition-april-22-28-2013/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/the-stream-team-spring-has-sprung-edition-april-22-28-2013/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/the-stream-team-spring-has-sprung-edition-april-22-28-2013/#comments

If you live in the Northeast, chances are you ignore both the calendar and the furry little four-footed weatherman when it comes to anticipating the arrival of spring. In fact, you just don't believe it until you see it! Plenty of kids in that region are pros at gathering Easter eggs in a snowsuit. Although some might argue that the four seasons are actually Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Road Construction, I contend that they can experience an actual spring. And after a week of sunshine and non-frosty temperatures, I say it's finally made an appearance!

Doh! I spoke to soon: It's back to the 20s. Tricksy weather, you almost fooled me. Oh well, I guess I can dive back under some blankets and watch more Massively TV instead of venturing into that thing called "outdoors." You, too, can take refuge from the never-ending winter by watching The Stream Team visit virtual lands of sun, warmth, even lava. Whom am I kidding? They will probably taunt us in another world of snow!
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action-mmoactivisionall-points-bulletinall-points-bulletin-reloadedanetapbapb-reloadedapbrarenanetarkark-hunterarkfallbiowareblizzardblizzard-entertainmentbuy-to-playcrimecrypticcryptic-studiosdefiancedndeaelectronic-artseq-2eq-iieq2eqiievents (real-world)everquest-2everquest-iif2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playg1game-of-thrones-ascentgamersfirstguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw2hi-rezhi-rez-studioshistoricalhumorlivestreamlivestreaminglivestreamslucasartsmassively metamassively-metamassively-tvmetamight-and-magicmight-and-magic-duel-of-championsmiscellaneousmmo-shootermobamultiplayer-online-battle-arenamusicmv-guidemv-tvmvguidemvtvncsoftneverwinterperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentplaneplanespollpreviewspvppwesandboxsci-fishootersmitesoesonysony-online-entertainmentspringspringtimestar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicstreamstream-schedulestream-teamstreamersstreamingstreamteamswtorsyfytelonthe stream teamthe-aurora-worldthe-lost-titansthe-old-republicthe-stream-teamthird-person-shootertortorchlight-2torchlight-iitpstransmedia-synergytriontrion-worldstvtwitchtwitch-tvvanguardvanguard-saga-of-heroesvgvideowarwarcraftwargaming.netwarplanewarplanesworld-of-warcraftworld-of-warplaneswowwowpxboxMon, 22 Apr 2013 09:00:00 -0400319|20542463https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/mmo-blender-game-of-thrones-muds-and-the-perfect-quest-text/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/mmo-blender-game-of-thrones-muds-and-the-perfect-quest-text/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/mmo-blender-game-of-thrones-muds-and-the-perfect-quest-text/#comments

Nothing seems to suck me into a game more than a good story. The brilliant thing is that the story doesn't have to be complicated or intense as long as it's original and easy to follow. I want characters to meet, locations to discover. I need to immerse myself into a story more than I need to raise a level or obtain powerful loot. In this edition of MMO Blender, I wanted to use three main games as prime examples of systems that, when combined together in some form, would deliver the best story-driven experience I can imagine.

There are several factors to consider: story, movement, character, and interaction. I want to use War of Dragons as an example of movement in a mostly text environment, Gemstone IV for character and interaction, and Game of Thrones Ascent for story. Hopefully, when I am done, I'll have convinced someone to give me a few million dollars to create this dream MMO.
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armchair-game-designbeau-hindmanbrowsercasualculturefavorite-mmofeaturedfree-to-playgame mechanicsgame-designgame-mechanicsgame-of-thronesgame-of-thrones-ascentgemstone-ivmechanicsmiscellaneousmmo blendermmo-blendermmo-mechanicsmmo-mix-tapemmo-mixologymudopinionscreenshotstext-basedvirtual worldswar-of-dragonsFri, 19 Apr 2013 21:00:00 -0400319|20545120https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/the-stream-team-stepping-on-tax-edition-april-15-21-2013/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/the-stream-team-stepping-on-tax-edition-april-15-21-2013/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/the-stream-team-stepping-on-tax-edition-april-15-21-2013/#comments

'Tis the season! Just... not that season. This isn't one we really want; it's not a season of joyousness and brotherly kindness. No, this one's more akin to scattering LEGOs and thumbtacks all across the floor then dashing barefoot from wall to wall just to hit your head against them over and over. We understand the pain. Truly, we do. And The Stream Team is here for you.

They say nothing's certain in life except death and taxes, but we disagree! We'd totally add Massively TV to that list. Have we ever left you in your times of need? No! And we know you need us now more than ever. We're here to help you, with a full line-up of shows to help ease the pain and take your mind off the traumas that cannot be avoided. So take a load off and check out this week's schedule, catch a few reruns, see the highlight of the week, and take part in our two polls. Then remember, at least this only happens once a year!
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activisionage-of-wulinage-of-wushuagotaionanetarenanetarkark-hunterarkfallartplayascensionasiabigpointbiowareblizzardblizzard-entertainmentbrowserbrowser-basedbuy-to-playccpccp-gameschampionschampions-onlinechampschinachinesechinese-mmococonsoleconsolescrypticcryptic-studiosdefianceeaelectronic-artseq-2eq-iieq2eqiieveeve-onlineeverquest-2everquest-iif2pfactionfamilyfantasyfeaturedfrfree-realmsfree-to-playfuncomgame of thronesgame-of-thrones-ascentgame-of-thrones-mmogame-of-thrones-seven-kingdomsgeorge-martingeorge-rr-martingotgot7kgpotatoguild-warsguild-wars-2gvggwgw2hbohi-rezhi-rez-studioshistoricalhorrorinternet-spaceshipskid-friendlykidnappingkidskids-mmokingsislekingsisle-entertainmentlivestreamlivestreaminglivestreamslucasartsmartial-artsmassively metamassively-metamassively-tvmetamight-and-magicmight-and-magic-duel-of-championsming-dynastymiscellaneousmmo-shootermobamultiplayer-online-battle-arenamv-guidemv-tvmvguidemvtvmythologyncsoftperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentplaneplanesplaystation-3playstation3pollpollsps3pvppwesandboxsci-fantasysci-fisecret-worldseven-kingdomsshooterskill-basedsmitesnail-gamessnail-games-usasoesonysony-online-entertainmentspreadsheets-onlinestar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicstreamstream-schedulestream-teamstreamersstreamingstreamteamsubscriptionlesssuperherosuperheroesswtorsyfytanktankstelonthe stream teamthe-aurora-worldthe-old-republicthe-secret-worldthe-stream-teamthird-person-shootertortpstransmedia-synergytriontrion-worldstruly-freetswtvtwitchtwitch-tvvanguardvanguard-saga-of-heroesvgvillagers-and-heroeswarwarcraftwargaming.netwarplanewarplaneswesteroswizard101world-of-tanksworld-of-warcraftworld-of-warplaneswotwowwowpwushuwuxiaxboxMon, 15 Apr 2013 09:00:00 -0400319|20537011https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/01/game-of-thrones-ascent-ties-updates-to-season-3/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/01/game-of-thrones-ascent-ties-updates-to-season-3/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/01/game-of-thrones-ascent-ties-updates-to-season-3/#comments

Watch out, Defiance: You're not the only transmedia synergy wiz-kid on the block! Game of Thrones Ascent announced that it's started to release weekly updates that will tie into the previous night's broadcasted TV episode.

As the first episode of Game of Thrones' third season premiered last night, the first episode of Ascent's new content went live today. It's titled Episode 1: Valar Dohaeris and adds "dozens" of new quests, multiplayer alliance challenges, a power leaderboard, and a siege workshop.

Developer Disruptor Beam released some stats for the title (which is still in beta!). The studio says that 43% of the players so far have pledged allegiance to the Starks, 25% to the Targaryens, and 15% to the Lannisters. More players choose to fight (35%) than any other action, and the Neck is the most popular destination in the game world (16%).

It can strike out of nowhere: that random line or twenty from one of the movie greats just rockets out of your mouth. But I'm not talking about some box office smash. Oh no, I'm talking about the truly defining films of our culture -- the cult classics! With their quirkiness, their courage to stretch beyond the boundaries of the industry, and of course those sensationally memorable lines, these films embedded themselves in our psyches and helped shape our social environment.

Wouldn't it be great to have been at the dawning of these bits of history? Well why not be at the start of a budding cult classic? While there are no guarantees, there's certainly a possibility that one of Massively TV's shows will rise up and join the hallowed annals of cult status. You never know, so why deny yourself the opportunity and live with regret?

Check out this week's Stream Team schedule after the cut and be a part of history in the making, all while enjoying the crazy commentary of your favorites hosts as they show off new betas and old standbys alike. Then vote for your favorite movie to MMO conversion in our poll at the end.
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action-mmoanetarenanetbiowarebrowserbrowser-basedbuy-to-playccpccp-gamesclone-warsclone-wars-adventuresconquestconsoleconsolescrypticcryptic-studioscwadc-universedc-universe-onlinedcuodiablodnddotae-sporteaelectronic-artseq-2eq-iieq2eqiiesporteveeve-onlineeverquest-2everquest-iif2pfactionfamilyfantasyfeaturedfrfree-realmsfree-to-playfuncomgame-of-thrones-ascentgrinding-geargrinding-gear-gamesguild-wars-2gw2heart-of-the-swarmheroes-of-newerthhi-rezhi-rez-studioshonhorrorinternet-spaceshipskartugakid-friendlykidskids-mmokingsislekingsisle-entertainmentleap-daylivestreamlivestreaminglivestreamslobbylucasartsmassively metamassively-metamassively-tvmetaminigameministry-of-warmiscellaneousmobamultiplayer-online-battle-arenamv-guidemv-tvmvguidemvtvmythologyncsoftneverwinterpath-of-exileperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentpiratepirate101piratesplaystation-3playstation3poepollpollsps3pvppwerenaissance-heroesriftrift-literift-planes-of-telararoguelikervrs2s2-gamessandboxsci-fantasysci-fisecret-worldshakes-and-fidgetskill-basedsmitesoesonysony-online-entertainmentspreadsheets-onlinestar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicstarcraft-2starcraft-iistarcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarmstreamstream-schedulestream-teamstreamersstreamingstreamteamsubscriptionlesssuperherosuperheroesswtortelonthe stream teamthe-old-republicthe-secret-worldthe-stream-teamthree-faction-pvpthree-way-pvptortriontrion-worldstswtwitchtwitch-tvvanguardvanguard-saga-of-heroesvgMon, 04 Mar 2013 09:00:00 -0500319|20475415https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/03/rise-and-shiny-game-of-thrones-ascent/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/03/rise-and-shiny-game-of-thrones-ascent/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/03/rise-and-shiny-game-of-thrones-ascent/#comments

There are several things that Game of Thrones Ascent, a social game by Disruptor Beam, does right. At the top of that list is the way the game works as a vehicle for easily digestible content, content that comes from some of the densest reading material in modern fantasy. For the record, I still haven't read any of the books that the Game of Thrones television series is based on, but luckily I have a wife who will simply burst with excitement when she reads some new tidbit... unless she tells the nearest person (me).

It must be hard making a game based on such a popular piece of fiction. The fact is that I didn't expect the little-known developers to do much good. I thought players would be smashing through a game that served as nothing but a cheap commercial for the HBO series. I was very wrong.
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beau-hindmanbetasbrowserbusiness modelscasualdisruptor-beamf2pfacebookfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgame mechanicsgame-of-thronesgame-of-thrones-ascenthands-oninnogamesinterviewinterviewsjon-radoffkartugalivestreammassively-tvmmortsnew titlesopinionpreviewsrise and shinyrise-and-shinysocial-gamingstreamtwitchtwitch-tvunityvideoSun, 03 Mar 2013 12:00:00 -0500319|20486010https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/25/the-stream-team-out-of-the-frying-pan-edition-february-25-ma/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/25/the-stream-team-out-of-the-frying-pan-edition-february-25-ma/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/25/the-stream-team-out-of-the-frying-pan-edition-february-25-ma/#comments

And into the fire! Or water, as the case may be.

Have you ever had one of those days when every time you finally extricated yourself from one mess, you just landed smack dab in the middle of another, managing to climb out of a water trap only to have your celebration cut short by falling right into a sheer-sided pit? And all after getting lost in foliage on a mountainside? Well, if you ever do have a day like that, hunker down and watch some Stream Team adventures on Massively TV. Then you can laugh at the misfortunes of your favorite streamers and forget about whatever craziness awaits you in the world at large.
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activisionage-of-wulinage-of-wushuanetarenanetasiabattlestar-galacticabattlestar-galactica-onlinebigpointbiowareblizzardblizzard-entertainmentbrowserbrowser-basedbsgobuy-to-playccpccp-gameschinachinesechinese-mmoclone-warsclone-wars-adventuresconquestconsoleconsolescwadc-universedc-universe-onlinedcuodotadragons-calle-sporteaelectronic-artseq-2eq-iieq2eqiiesporteveeve-onlineeverquest-2everquest-iif2pfactionfamilyfantasyfeaturedfrfree-realmsfree-to-playfuncomgame-of-thrones-ascentgpotatoguild-wars-2gvggw2heart-of-the-swarmheroes-of-newerthhi-rezhi-rez-studioshonhorrorinternet-spaceshipsjet-likid-friendlykidnappingkidskids-mmokingsislekingsisle-entertainmentlivestreamlivestreaminglivestreamslobbylucasartsmartial-artsmassively metamassively-metamassively-tvmetaming-dynastyminigamemiscellaneousmobamultiplayer-online-battle-arenamv-guidemv-tvmvguidemvtvmythologyncsoftnotoriousnotorious-gamespiratepirate101piratesplaystation-3playstation3pollpost-apocpost-apocalypticps3pvpremanumrenaissance-heroesriftrift-literift-planes-of-telararvrs2s2-gamessandboxsci-fantasysci-fisecret-worldshakes-and-fidgetskill-basedsmitesnail-gamessnail-games-usasoesonysony-online-entertainmentspreadsheets-onlinestar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicstarcraft-2starcraft-iistarcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarmstreamstream-schedulestream-teamstreamersstreamingstreamteamsubscriptionlesssuperherosuperheroesswtorthe stream teamthe-old-republicthe-secret-worldthe-stream-teamthree-faction-pvpthree-way-pvptortorchlight-2triontrion-worldstswtwitchtwitch-tvwarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowwushuwuxiaxsyonMon, 25 Feb 2013 10:00:00 -0500319|20465280https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/24/rise-and-shiny-dragons-call/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/24/rise-and-shiny-dragons-call/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/24/rise-and-shiny-dragons-call/#comments

When I play a game like Dragon's Call by GameDP, I am reminded of a riff on that old meme: "In Russia, game plays you." If you do what I do and explore almost any MMO or MMO-like game you can, you often find yourself joining in to play games that really boggle your mind and challenge your perception of what an MMO should be like. Dragon's Call is one of those games. Now, look, I'm up on all of the latest trends, even the ones that are super-fringe and crazy-bad; these are the trends that really interest me the most because they eventually filter into the West quietly but effectively. One of these trends is putting out games that are essentially nothing more than a button pushing contest.

I've talked about the Chinese market before and how it is absolutely filled with browser-based MMOs, some of them lasting for only a few months until they are shut down. The crowd plays as hard as it can, hopes to get ranked highly, and then moves on to the next game. It's so odd.

Dragon's Call has to come from this sort of design mindset, if not from China directly. The good news is that many games from the East are phenomenal, and just like the market in the West, the Eastern market offers a smaller percentage of good games versus bad -- but the good titles are really good. Unfortunately, Dragon's Call is not one of the good ones.
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afkafk-mechanicbeau-hindmanbrowserbrowser-basedcasualculturedragons-callf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgame mechanicsgame-of-thronesgame-of-thrones-ascentgamedphands-onhumorlivestreammassively-tvopinionpreviewsrise and shinyrise-and-shinystreamtwitchtwitch-tvvideoSun, 24 Feb 2013 12:00:00 -0500319|20474786https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/21/slaughter-your-frenemies-on-facebook-with-game-of-thrones-ascent/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/21/slaughter-your-frenemies-on-facebook-with-game-of-thrones-ascent/https://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/21/slaughter-your-frenemies-on-facebook-with-game-of-thrones-ascent/#comments

If there's one problem with Facebook, it's that there isn't nearly enough backstabbing and politics. Game of Thrones Ascent aims to fix that appalling lack by bringing users into Westeros, where they can wage war alongside some of the most beloved and reviled characters from the popular book and TV series. Game of Thrones Ascent has just launched its Facebook open beta. All game content is currently open to players, and Disruptor Beam has plans for adding new and player-requested features as time goes on.

You'll have the opportunity to start and rule your own house, give your loyalty to one of the Great Houses from the series, stockpile resources, and jockey for position. There's room for cooperative and decidedly uncooperative maneuvers with other players. There's no word yet on whether or not House Targaryen players get a bonus for recruiting siblings.

HBO's Game of Thrones is getting the online gaming treatment for the second time in the space of a calendar year. First it was Bigpoint's free-to-play browser MMO, and now it's a Facebook game called Game of Thrones Ascent, which is being developed by Disruptor Beam, a social gaming company headed by former GamerDNA CEO Jon Radoff.

The company says that players will "lead the life of a noble during the time of upheaval as portrayed in the books and the series thus experiencing a new type of game that unites both story and strategy."

Precious little info is given on the title, including a release date, but we'll bring you the latest as it becomes available.